How to Play 5 Card Stud Poker

Looking to start your poker career at Titan Poker? Then, begin by playing the original stud poker game, Five Card Stud. This is the simplest stud poker game, which has featured in many poker films and paved the way for many poker legends. Even though it is less popular today and no longer features as an event in the World Series of Poker, mastering the game of Five Card Stud can still be a great way to launch your poker career.

Titan Poker has many 5 Card Stud Limit tables available and as the game is quick to master, you’ll be a winning stud poker player in no time.

In 5 Card Stud, one card is dealt face down to each player; there are 2nd, 3rd and 4th streets cards dealt face up, and betting rounds take place along the way.

We have outlined the action in a typical 5 Card Stud game below, to help you get started.

5-Card Stud Poker, a Sample Game

Each player begins with two cards, one facing up and one facing down. The person sitting to the dealer's left begins. If the game is being played with a bring-in, this is done by the person with the lowest face-up card. A bring-in is a forced bet that is common in stud games. It's different from an ante because it only requires one person and because it counts as a bet for the opening round. If playing without a bring-in, the game begins with a check made by the person holding the highest face-up card. If there is a tie in ranking between two face-up cards, the person sitting closest (clockwise) to the dealer should proceed.

When the first round is over, players are dealt another face up card. Whoever has the highest ranking hand with their two face-up cards places their bet first. Whoever goes first can choose to either bet up to the limit or check. This exact sequence continues on the third and fourth betting rounds, until showdown. Often times the game ends before reaching showdown, because no further calls will be made.

5-Card Stud Poker - a Primer

If you have ever watching the 1965 movie with Steve McQueen called "The Cincinnati Kid" then you will be familiar with 5 card stud. In the early years of poker long before the emergence of texas holdem this was a very popular variation of stud poker. The game is very similar to 7 card stud but without the dealing of the sixth and seventh cards.

In 5 card stud, also known as 5 card poker, you are dealt one card face down and one card face up. You then bet usually in a limit structure on the strength of those cards with the player holding the lowest up card making the first bet. After each round of betting another card is dealt face up until each player has five cards. The player who bets first in each betting round is the player with the best poker hand shown from the face up cards; therefore position can alternate between players as the hand progresses.

The poker strategy in this game is focused around representing the down card you hold in order to make your opponent fold and assessing the four face up cards you can see when all five cards are dealt. During the 1970’s 5 card stud featured four times in the 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974 WSOP before being dropped due to its waning popularity. All four bracelets were won by Bill Boyd who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1981. Boyd managed the Golden Nugget casino card room from its opening day in 1946 right through until it closed its doors in 1982 and was known as a 5 card stud expert.

5 card stud is probably the least played of all the main poker variations. It is still played in Europe and is popular in home games especially in Finland. The popular poker phrase “Ace in the hole” is derived from 5 card stud, since a hidden ace is very powerful in the game and gives the player a hidden advantage in a 5 card stud hand.